Bee-feeder.



J. ENE-ELDER.

BEE FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 3, 1911.

1,056,783.` Patented Mar.25,1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,wAsHxNG'roN.

JESSIE ENHELDER, OF GREENWOOD, WISCONSIN.

BEE-FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 3, 1911.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

Serial No. 652,616.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JEssIE ENI-IELDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenwood, in the county o-f Clark and State of lVisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bee-Feeders, ofwhich the following is a specification. This invention relates to beefeeders and aims primarily to provide a device for feedo ing bees, whichdevice may be readily assembled with an ordinary bee-hive and may beconveniently supplied with sugar, or the like, upon which the bees areto be fed.

The invention further aims to provide a device of this class from whichsurplus water may be drained without losing any of the sugar or othersolid substance which the water is intended to moisten.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a bee-feeder soconstructed that the sugar or other substance upon which the bee is tobe fed will not be too freely delivered to the bees so that not only iswaste prevented, but the substance used as feed is prevented fromfalling into the hive.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is aperspective view of the bee feeder embodying the present invention. Fig.2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough. Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse sectional view. F ig. 4 is a .top plan view of one corner ofthe feeder with the closure cap for the drain spout removed.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawingby the same reference characters.

In the drawing the feeder embodying the present invention is illustratedas in the form of a box which is preferably constructed of sheet metal,although it may be made from wood, paper, or any other suitable materialand the bottom of this box is indicated by the numeral 1, and its endwalls being indicated by the numeral 2 and its side walls by the numeral3. The top of the box is indicated at 4 and is constructed for theintroduction of sugar or other material employed in feeding the bees,into the box, as will be presently explained.

A screen or foraminous plate 5 is arinsertion of the proboscides of thebees when feeding upon the material contained within the box, and aretherefore sufficiently small to prevent grains of sugar fallingtherethrough and into the hive. The box is disposed upon the top of ahive, a portion of the top being shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing andbeing indicated by the numeral 6 and formed with an opening 7 abovewhich the screen or foraminous blade 5 extends.

In its top 4, the feed-box is formed with an opening 8 and upon theupper side of the said top of the box, at opposite sides of the opening8 therein, there are secured slides 9 in which are slidably fitted thelateral edges 10 of a closure plate 11, designed when in position uponthe top, to close the opening 8 therein. This closure plate 11 isprovided at one endwith an upstanding flange 12 which may be grasped forthe purpose of sliding the closure plate to open position. Vhen theplate has beenI slid to open position, a quantity o-f sugar or othersubstance to be used in feeding the bees is placed in the box throughthe said opening 8 therein and when the box has been sufficientlyfilled, the closure plate is slid to closed position, thereby closingthe box except for the openings of the screen in its bottom.

In the use of the sugar or a similar solid substance for feeding thebees it is customary to moisten the same with water or some otherliquid, and it not infrequently happens, particularly, where sugar isused, that the solid material will deliquesce, resulting in an increaseof the liquid substance within the box. To prevent the liquid contentsof the box dripping down through the screen into the hive, it isexpedient that means be provided whereby the box may be drained atsuitable intervals. To this end, the box is formed in its top wall 4, atone corner, with an opening 13, and a spout 14 is secured upon the saidtop and has a relatively wide base portion 15 and a threaded neck 16upon which is removably fitted a closure cap 17 as shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawing. By referring to Fig. 4 of the drawing, it will be observedthat the opening 13 is ofset with respect to the neck of the spout, inthe direction of that corner of the top 4 at which the opening and spoutare located; l/Vhen it is desired to drain the surplus liquid contentsof the box, the box is removed from the top o-f the hive and the cap 17is removed. rlhe box is then disposed with its corner at which the drainopening` 13 is formed, lo-werniost, and the liquid allowed to vflow outthrough the spout. It will be readily understood that by providing adrain spout such as is described and locating the saine at one corner ofthe box, the surplus liquid will be more completely drained from the boxthan would be possible by partly opening the closure 1l, and it willfurther be understood that by offsetting the opening 13 in the directionof that corner of the box at which it is located, a more completedraining of the surplus liquid from 'the box is provided for.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is VA. beefeeder including a container having a top, the said top being providedat one corner with a drain opening, a spout having a base or bodysecured to the top of the container at the said corner thereof andsurrounding the opening, the opening being offset with respect to theneck of the spout in the direction of the corner of the top at which thespout is located, and a closure for the spout.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL STANGE, HERMAN NORTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patenti Washington, D. C.

